Territory



(No Model.)

J. CqWALKER.

WAGON BRAKE.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICEO JOSEPH O. VALKER, OF HELENA, MONTANA TERRITORY.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,329, dated August 9, 1881.

Application filedJune 1l, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH CULfroN WALK- ER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Helena,in the county of Lewis and Clarke and Territory of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Brakes andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in self-acting wagon-brakes, and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts whereby the gravity of the wagon applies the brakes to the wheels in descending au incline.

It also consistsin the use ofa spring, whereby the action of releasing` the brakes from the wheels is assisted, and whereby thedraft is rendered easier upon the horses by removing, in part, the jar upon their shoulders; and it further consists in a device whereby the wagon may be backed without applying the brakes to the wheels, all of which will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l isa side elevation. Fig.2is a topplan view. Fig. 5 isa perspective view ofthe combined spring and hanger. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the locking device.

A represents the front portion of the running-gear of a wagon. B is the tongue. The rear end ofthe tongue is provided with a slot, b, for the admission of the lever c, which is fulcrumed at d. in the hanger e which depends from the lower side of the tongue. This hanger e is made of steel or other suitable material, being broad and thin, and being bent into the shape shown in Figs. l and 3, having a slot, e', madein it to admit of the passage ofthe lever o.

Vhen the power is applied in applying the brakes to the wheelsitisacconiplished,in part, against the tension of the spring-hanger e, the forward portion, @2,becomingpartially straightened, and the rear portion, e3, becoming more curved, as will be readily understood. The

instant the strain is taken oft' b v arriving at the foot of the hill the spring, in becoming restored to its normal shape, throws the brakes from the wheels a 'slight distance, thus assisting the team in releasing the brakes. This spring also renders the draft easier upon the horses by relieving the jar and strain of the draft upon their shoulders.

The lower end of the lever c is slightly curved, and fits into the bifurcated end of the brake-rod O, the brake-rod having two frictionrollers, one before and one behind the end of the lever o, as shown. The brake-rod O is in two pieces, f and g, as shown, their ends being converted into right and left hand screws, respectively, and connected by the link h, the ends of the link being tapped to fit the screwends ofthe partsj'and g. By this arrangement the brakerod may be lengthened or shortened, as desired.

Bearing on the top of the tongue B is the connecting-rod fi, one end of which is pivoted to the lever c, as at k, the other end securing the evener or double-tree, to which the draft is applied. This connecting-rod isprovided with the friction-rollers I, as shown.

To the extreme upper end of the lever c is pivoted a second connecting-rod, m, the other end of which is pivoted to the rod n, which eX- tends along the tongue B, its outer end receiving the pull-back chains of the horses harness.

It will be observed that the lever o is fulcrumed to the spring-hanger at a point about one-third of its length from the bottom, thus securing great power in applying the brakes.

When backing the wagon it is necessary to make some provision for keeping the lever from moving as the team tugs againstthe front end of the rod n, as the movement ofthe rod would apply the brakes to the wheels, thus giving the horses an additional and unnecessary resistance to overcome. This Iaccomplish by means of the device shown in Fig. 4.

Through the rear end ofthe rod n is made a hole,o, which registers with another hole, p, made in the tongue, when the rod is at the forward limit of its movement. A little to the rear of the hole o, upon the rod n, is fixed a standard, q, in which is pivoted a bent arm,r,

IOO

than the horizontal arm t, as shown.

To the outer end of lthe arm tis pivoted a coupling-pin, r, which hangs down with its lower end in the hole 0, stopping short of' entering the hole p in the tongue, the weighted end of the bent arm counterbalaucin g the pin v and arm t.

To the Weighted end of the arln is fastened one end of a cord, fw, the otherend passing up to the driver. Before backing the team the driver pulls the cord, which causes the pin o to enter the holep in the tongue, thus preventing the rod n from moving back and applying the brakes to the wheels. The strain upon the pin while theteamis backing Willbe more than sucient to keep il: in the hole p, while the counter-Weight will withdrawitl from the hole in the tongue when theteam is started forward. Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of the tongue B, rod n,

connecting rods and m, (the rod m being connected to rod n and lever c, the rod i being connected to the double-tree and lever 0,) lever c, hanger e, brake-rod C, and brake-bar carrying the brakes, substantially as shown and described.

2. The rod n, provided with the standard q, and the bentI arm or lever r, having one end heavier than the other, and connected with the tongue B, having the holep, whereby the rod u may be rigidly secured to the tongue B in backing, substantially as and for the pu rposes shown and described.

In testimony whereofI atix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH CULTON WALKER.

Witnesses:

M. B. HUBBARD, L. P. HoToHKIss. 

